The present invention relates to a chucking or clamping device, especially a chuck for a turning machine, vise, etc., and includes radially displaceable base jaws that are, for example, guided in a chuck body and that are connected individually or in common with an actuating member, with exchangeable attachment jaws being provided that engage teeth in end faces of the base jaws, can be coupled with associated base jaws, can be shifted axially by a distance equal to at least the height of the intermeshing jaw teeth, and in end portions that face the base jaws, are provided with guide slots that extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chuck or vise.
DE-OS 29 49 567 discloses a chuck of this general type. To couple the attachment jaws with the base jaws, this chuck is provided with respective grooved pieces that are axially displaceably disposed in a recess provided in the base jaw; a hammerhead-shaped end of the grooved piece extends into a groove provided in the attachment jaw. The axial displacement of the grooved piece by the height of the intermeshing jaw teeth is effected via a securing element that is disposed in a recess provided in the base jaw, and that is radially displaceable via a fixed threaded spindle. The displacement movements of the securing element are transmitted to the grooved pieced via inclined surfaces.
In addition to the fact that this embodiment has a complicated construction and is hence expensive to manufacture, no direct connection of the attachment jaw to the base jaw is provided. Rather, the jaws of the heretofore known device are coupled with one another via the grooved piece, the securing element, as well as the threaded spindle and consequently via a plurality of elements that can be shifted in a variety of ways, so that a high stability does not result and consequently the range of application of this known chuck is limited. Furthermore, it is not possible to exchange the jaws within a short period of time, because the rotational movement of the displacement spindle must be changed into an axial movement. Furthermore, the axial displacement path of the grooved pieces is small, so that the intermeshing teeth of the base and attachment jaws can similarly transmit no high forces. It is also possible to have only either an internal or external clamping of a workpiece.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to embody a chucking device of the aforementioned general type in such a way that a rigid connection of the attachment jaws with the base jaws is always realized, yet it is none the less possible to very easily and quickly exchange the attachment jaws via a parallel shifting. Furthermore, the structural complexity and the manufacturing costs should be kept small; in addition, it must be possible to undertake an exchange of jaws without difficulty and without having to loosen bolts. Above all, a high stability of the connection as well as a large radial displacement range of the attachment jaws should be provided, so that even extremely high clamping forces can be transmitted without difficulty to a workpiece that is secured between the attachment jaws. Furthermore, both internal and external clamping of a workpiece should be readily possible.